Cellular blocks with cover of sheet material

ABSTRACT

A BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IS SHOWN HAVING BLOCKS FOR VERTICAL ASSEMBLY TO PROVIDE A WALL, THE BLOCKS HAVING FACINGS OR COVERS HELD ONTO THE BLOCKS BY FLANGES ENGAGED IN LONGTUDINAL GROOVES IN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE BLOCKS AND WITH KEYS ENGAGING THE FLANGES. THE BLOCKS ARE OF LIGHT WEIGHT SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND THE FACINGS OR COVERS ARE OF SYNTHETIC PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL. THE BLOCKS HAVE COMMUNICATING OPENINGS FOR INSERTION OF REINFORCING RODS AND FOR THE POURING OF CONCRETE THEREIN TO STRENGTHEN AND RETAIN THE BLOCKS IN ASSEMBLED RELATION.

March 2, 1971 J. SLOBODIAN 3,565,568

CELLULAR BLOCKS WITH COVER OF SHEET MATERIAL Filed April 28, 1969 M 72mm 0 m5 w i 9 J m S 0 J I I I I I WWMM/M/AK\\\\NA United States PatentOffice Patented Mar. 2, 1971 3,566,568 CELLULAR BLOCKS WITH COVER OFSHEET MATERIAL Joseph Slobodian, Malvern, Pa. Phoenixville Lumber Co.,405 Bridge St., Phoenixville, Pa. 19460) Filed Apr. 28, 1969, Ser. No.819,571 Int. Cl. E04b 2/46, 2/48; E040 2/10 US. Cl. 52-309 11 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of theinvention This invention relates to building construction and moreparticularly to improved blocks for assembly in walls and the like andhaving facings or coverings thereon.

Description of the prior art It has heretofore been proposed as in myprior patent No. 2,453,466 to provide the light weight building blockswith a sustaining and strengthening filling of concrete poured after theblocks have been erected.

No wholly satisfactory light weight wall construction has been providednot only because of the difficulty of providing an attractive appearancebut because of difficulties in weather proofing and waterproofing.

SUMMAJRY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention abuilding construction is provided particularly suitable for walls, inwhich a plurality of light weight blocks of synthetic plastic foam areprovided having cover sheets or faces of synthetic plastic sheetmaterial, the blocks having any desired exterior shape, and havingkeying grooves and keys received therein for retaining the cover sheetsin position. The blocks have communicating openings for filling withpoured concrete to retain and strengthen the wall.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide abuilding construction employing a plurality of blocks with cover sheetswhich can be quickly and easily assembled and then secured by pouringconcrete into communicating openings within the blocks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a buildingconstruction of the character aforesaid which is readily adaptable toprovide door and window openings.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a buildingconstruction employing light weight blocks of simple construction andwhich are readily adapted for assembly.

Other objects and advantages features of the invention will be apparentfrom the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature and characteristic featuresof the invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred form of blocks,covers or facings and reinforcing rod retainer employed in connectionwith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the block;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a portion of a wall in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, still further en larged, takenapproximately on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, a block 10 is shown having horizontal top and bottombounding faces 11 and 12, opposite side wall faces 14 and 15 which canbe vertical or inclined as desired, and opposite vertical end faces 17and 18.

The blocks 10 can be made of any desired size but in a particularembodiment can have a height of slightly less than twelve inches, awidth of slightly less than six inches, and a length of twelve to twentyfeet.

The top and bottom faces 11 and 12 have a plurality of connectingopenings 19 therebetween for filling with concrete 20 as hereinafterpointed out. The top face 11 has formed therein a transverse slot 21which communicates with opposite longitudinal horizontal grooves 22 forthe insertion of a reinforcing rod retaining plate 23. The ends of theplate 23 upon insertion through the slot 21 are held in the grooves 22after being slid to position. The plate 23 has an opening 24 for thereception of a vertical steel reinforcing rod 25 around which concrete20 can be poured.

The block 10 at the junction of the top face 11 and each of the sidefaces 14 and 15 has longitudinal horizontal edge grooves 27 and thebottom face 12, spaced inwardly from each of the side faces 14 and 15,has longitudinal locking grooves 28 therealong. The grooves 28preferably have opposite inclined or tapered faces 30 connected by ahorizontal top face 31 to provide a wedging action, as hereinafterexplained.

The blocks 10 can be made of any desired light weight durable materialbut it is preferred that the blocks 10 be made of styrene beads or ofpolyurethane, in stabilized foam form, of a density of about one to twopounds per cubic foot.

Cover sheets 32 are provided of any desired material. The cover sheets32 could be made of thin sheet aluminum or other metallic sheet materialbut are preferably of polyvinyl chloride of a thickness of the order of0.050 inch.

The sheets 32 may be of any desired color and preferably have a faceportion 33 colored, textured, or ornamented as desired and havepreformed thereon an upper flange 34 and a lower locking flange 35.

The upper locking flange 34 has a horizontal wall portion 36 andvertical wall portion 37 conforming to the edge groove 27, a horzitonalwall portion 38 to engage the top face 11 of the block 10, and aninverted V-shaped locking portion 39, with a terminal edge 40, spacedfrom the top face 11.

The lower locking flange 35 has a horizontal portion 41 to engage thelower face 12 and an inverted V-shaped locking portion 42 within whichthe V-shaped portion 39 is engaged and which engages in the lockinggroove 28 with the faces 30 in contact therewith.

A key 44 is provided, which may be the same as plate 23, preferably ofsynthetic plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride or nylon, the key 44having inverted wedges 45 at each end connected by a connector strip 46.In a particular embodiment keys 44 are placedabout every two feet.

The mode of use will now be pointed out.

As shown in FIG. 3, a suitable foundation F is provided on which theblocks are assembled.

As the blocks 10 are being put in place the cover sheets 32 areassembled thereto with their locking flanges 34 and 35 in interlockedposition at the grooves 28 and with spaced keys 44 aiding in retainingthe flanges 34 and 35 in interengaged position. The cover sheets 32 willbe firmly held in place and Will present the exterior and interiorappearance as selected by the user.

Lintels L may be employed in accordance with the requirements of thespecific building structure.

Concrete can be poured at any stage during the erection of the blocks 10and in surrounding relation to the reinforcing rods in a well knownmanner.

A weather resistant wall construction of attractive appearance is thusmade available, of light weight but of adequate strength when theconcrete 20 has hardened.

I claim:

1. Building construction comprising a plurality of blocks verticallyarranged,

each of said blocks including a block member of light weight cellularmaterial and having horizontal longitudinal top and bottom boundaryfaces with connecting openings therebetween,

longitudinal side boundary faces, and

transverse end boundary faces,

one of said horizontal faces of each block member having a longitudinalgroove therealong spaced inwardly from one of the side boundary faces,and

an enclosing cover of Sheet material extending along said one of theside boundary faces,

said enclosing cover having upper and lower locking flanges extendingalong top and bottom boundary faces of each block member retaining saidcover in position on said block member,

the flanges of each block having locking portions engaging lockingportions of flanges of blocks thereabove and therebelow, and

staid locking portions being in engagement respectively in saidlongitudinal grooves of successive block members.

2. Building construction as defined in claim 1 in which the lockingportions of one flange are complemental 4 in shape to the lockingportions of the flange with which it is in engagement. 3. Buildingconstruction as defined in claim 1 in which said longitudinal groove isin the bottom face. 4. Building construction as defined in claim 1 inwhich said longitudinal grooves have opposite tapered side faces. 5.Building construction as defined in claim 2 in which said lockingportions are of V-shape. 6. Building construction as deflned in claim 11in which the locking portions for the covers of opposite side boundaryfaces have key members in engagement therewith. 7. Building constructionas defined in claim 6 in which said locking portions are of V-shape, and

said key members have wedge portions in holding engagement with respectto said locking portions.

8. Building construction as defined in claim 1 in which said enclosingcover is of synthetic plastic sheet material.

9. Building construction as defined in claim 1 in which said blockmember is of styrene beads.

10. Building construction as defined in claim 3 in which saidlongitudinal grooves have opposite tapered side faces, and

said locking portions are of V-shape and have spaced key members inengagement therewith.

11. Building construction as defined in claim 1 in which said one ofsaid horizontal faces has an additional longitudinal groove therealongspaced inwardly from the other of the side boundary faces, and

a second enclosing cover of sheet material is provided for the other ofthe side boundary faces, and

said second enclosing cover has upper and lower locking flanges engagedin an additional said groove and retaining said second cover in positionon said block member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,388 4/1937 Venzie 525882,101,416 12/1937 Venzie 52593 2,851,875 9/1958 Astorga 52426X 3,281,51010/1966 Lovret 52309X 3,292,331 12/1966 Sarns 52309 3,327,447 6/1967Nissley 52309 3,367,076 2/1968 OBrien 52309X 3,410,044 11/1968 Moog52309 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 52438, 588, 599

